Rudolf Höss

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Höss was born in Baden-Baden into a strict Catholic family, the eldest of three children and the only son. He was baptized Rudolf Franz Ferdinand on 11 December 1901. His father Franz was a former army officer who served in German East Africa and ran a tea and coffee business. Höss claimed in his autobiography that he was briefly abducted by Romanies in his youth. He grew up with an almost fanatical belief in the central role of duty in a moral life, with constant emphasis on sin, guilt, and the need to do penance. During World War I, Höss briefly served in a military hospital and then, at age 14, was admitted to his father's and his grandfather's old regiment, the 21st Regiment of Dragoons. When Höss was 15, he and the Ottoman Sixth Army fought at Baghdad, at Kut-el-Amara, as well as in Palestine. He rose to the rank of Feldwebel (sergeant-in-chief), and at 17 was the youngest non-commissioned officer in the army. Wounded thrice and a victim of malaria, he was awarded the Iron Crescent, the Iron Cross first and second class, and other decorations. When the news of the armistice reached Damascus, he and a few others decided to attempt to travel back to Bavaria, traversing enemy territory in Romania to reach it. After the war, Höss joined the Freikorps, first the East Prussian Volunteer Corps, then Freikorps Roßbach. He participated in armed terror attacks on Polish people during the Silesian uprisings and on French nationals during the French Occupation of the Ruhr. After hearing a speech by Adolf Hitler in Munich, Höss joined the Nazi Party in 1922 (member number 3240) and renounced his affiliation with the Catholic Church. On 31 May 1923, Höss and members of the Freikorps attacked and beat to death local schoolteacher Walther Kadow on the wishes of farm supervisor Martin Bormann. Höss was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison, serving in Brandenburg penitentiary. He was released in July 1928 as part of a general amnesty and joined the Artaman League. On 17 August 1929, Höss married Hedwig Hensel, whom he met in the Artaman League. Between 1930 and 1943, they had five children: two sons (Klaus and Hans-Jürgen) and three daughters (Heidetraut, Inge-Brigitt, and Annegret).

Reader's Guide

Rudolf Höss is significant as the longest-serving commandant of Auschwitz, where over a million people were killed. His role in implementing the Final Solution included introducing Zyklon B for use in gas chambers, on the initiative of his subordinate Karl Fritzsch. Höss tested and implemented means to accelerate the systematic extermination of the Jewish population of Nazi-occupied Europe. His memoirs, written during his imprisonment at the request of Polish authorities and released in English under the title 'Commandant of Auschwitz: The Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess,' provide a firsthand account of his actions and mindset. His trial before the Polish Supreme National Tribunal and subsequent execution by hanging in 1947 represent a key moment in post-war justice for Holocaust perpetrators. Höss's life illustrates the path from a strict Catholic upbringing and military service in World War I to involvement in paramilitary violence with the Freikorps, and ultimately the command of a death camp. His legacy is that of a war criminal whose actions were central to the Holocaust. After the defeat of Nazi Germany, he lived under a false name until discovered by the British, who then turned him over to Polish authorities.

Did You Know?

• Höss was the youngest non-commissioned officer in the German army at age 17, having served with the Ottoman Sixth Army at Baghdad, Kut-el-Amara, and in Palestine.
• He was awarded the Iron Crescent, the Iron Cross first and second class, and other decorations after being wounded three times and contracting malaria.
• Höss was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 1923 beating death of schoolteacher Walther Kadow, on the wishes of Martin Bormann.
• He introduced the pesticide Zyklon B for use in gas chambers at Auschwitz on the initiative of his subordinate Karl Fritzsch.
• Höss wrote his memoirs during imprisonment at the request of Polish authorities; they were released in English as 'Commandant of Auschwitz: The Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess.'